Earth Day's 52nd annual celebration will be taking place across the globe on Friday, April 22, and your local library is gearing up for the festivities!
The origins of Earth Day are various: for example, the publication of Rachel Carson's seminal book Silent Spring in 1962 catalyzed widespread discussion about the destruction of the global environment, as did the catastrophic oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969.
However, the day became officially instated in 1970 because of efforts by then-junior Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, who worked bilaterally and with young activist Denis Hayes to launch campus teach-ins about pollution. According to EarthDay.org, "[the first] Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans — at the time, 10% of the total population of the United States — to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development which had left a growing legacy of serious human health impacts." The climactic event had a lasting political legacy, including the creation later that year of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the passage of numerous landmark pieces of legislation.
In the 1990s, Earth Day became a global endeavor, eventually enlisting 141 countries in the commemoration, and has only continued to grow in the decades since. In fact, the Earth Day Network says it's "the largest secular observance in the world", with over one billion people participating!
Each year, the celebration has a theme -- in 2022, the theme is Invest In Our Planet, which seeks to focus attention on private sector priorities and efforts to shift toward sustainability.
If you'd like to learn more about Earth Day and how to both delight in and protect our natural world, we invite you to dive into all the free resources your Anne Arundel County Public Library has to offer. Enjoy our curated list of related events below, as well as our book lists for adults, teens and young adults, and kids!
Free Events
Earth Day Preschool Art – Friday, April 22 at 10 AM at Deale Library - Preschoolers will have the opportunity to paint and create art using recyclable materials.
Earth Day Craft Day – Friday, April 22 at 3:30 PM at Brooklyn Park Library - Celebrate Earth Day at the library and create a craft using reused and recycled items.
Earth Day Upcycling – Friday, April 22 at 3:30 PM at Busch Annapolis Regional Library - Come make this Earth Day one for the books and join us as we turn discarded and old books into beautiful arts and crafts!
Earth Day – Saturday, April 23 at 10:15 AM at Odenton Regional Library - Join us for stories, songs, and a craft.
Pollinators and the Foods I Love – Saturday, April 23 at 10:30 AM at Discoveries: the Library at the Mall - Young Sprouts will explore ways they contribute to a climate-smart food system! Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting a little messy! Presented by EnSprout.
Recycled Material May Baskets – Saturday, April 23 at 3 PM at Discoveries: the Library at the Mall - May baskets are an Annapolis tradition. Learn a little about the history while making a May basket that won't wilt!
Earth Day – Saturday, April 23 at 3 PM at Severn Library - Like to garden? Join us and learn an easy way to make seed-starting pots. We will teach you how to make pots from items in your household recycling bin. Working with materials such as cardboard and newspaper means the pot is biodegradable. Once your seed germinates and the seedling has a couple leaves, you can put the homemade pot into a bigger pot or plant directly in the ground. All supplies provided. P.S. Bring your child or grandchild and turn this into twice the fun.
Up Close with Local Bees – Saturday, April 30 at 10 AM at Maryland City at Russett Library - You know a thing or two about honeybees, but do you know our local wild bees? They don't make honey, rarely sting, and mostly live alone! Discover their unique life habits and see them up close through microscopes with a Ranger from Patuxent Research Refuge. Recommended for ages 5+.
Birds of Prey – Saturday, April 30 at 10 AM at Eastport-Annapolis Neck Library - Learn about different birds of prey with Naturalist Liz Smith of Raptor's Eye.
Meet a Terrapin at the Library – Saturday, April 30 at 11 AM at Edgewater Library - Join an educator from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center to learn about the differences between turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. We'll play a sorting game, learn some neat terrapin facts, and then meet one of the live ambassador terrapins from SERC. Best for ages 8+.
Meet a Terrapin Talk – Tuesday, May 3 at 11 AM at Glen Burnie Regional Library - Join Smithsonian educators as they explain all about the difference between turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. We'll see some pictures, play a sorting game, and then visit with a real live terrapin. Best for ages 6 and up. Great for homeschool and elementary age students!
Nature Explorers Club – Wednesday, May 11 at 4:30 PM at Busch Annapolis Regional Library - Each month we'll investigate an aspect of the ecosystem through presentations, conversations about environmental justice, active games or hands-on activities. For ages 7-11. Also in June!
Bug Hunt with a Ranger – Saturday, May 14 at 10 AM at Maryland City at Russett Library - Beneath the forest leaves and logs lies the hidden world of many insects. Go searching for beetles, termites, and millipedes with a Ranger from the Patuxent Research Refuge in this hands-on exploration of the forest. Recommended for ages 5+.
Service Learning - Invasive Plants – Saturday, May 14 at 2 PM at Eastport-Annapolis Neck Library - Interested in environmental issues like climate change and biodiversity? Need a service hour? Learn about non-native invasive plants, specifically English Ivy, and participate in an English Ivy removal project. Bring your gardening gloves if you have them, and wear long pants, long sleeves, and outdoor sneakers/boots to protect yourself. RAIN DATE is Saturday, May 28 at 2 PM.